Panasonic showcases 20-inch 4K tablet and first 4K TV with HDMI 2.0

After a gargantuan 20-inch tablet was showcased by Panasonic at CES in January this year, we weren't
sure we'd see the thing ever again, never mind see it brought to
market. Companies often talk about concept products at trade shows,
but there's no guarantee that they'll ever see the light of
day.

Panasonic, however, has delivered, announcing at IFA in Berlin
that its 4K tablet is not only very much real, but will also go on
sale soon in Europe. The slate has a seriously impressive
3,840x2,560-pixel resolution -- a total 230 pixels per inch -- and
it can nearly display an A3 poster at its full size, Panasonic
boasted at its press conference.

It's not clear exactly what operating system the tablet will
run, although at CES it was spotted running Windows 8. There's no
word either on pricing, but expect it to be jolly expensive.

Launched alongside the tablet was the Panasonic
Viera WT600, a 65-inch Ultra HD TV with HDMI 2.0. 4K TVs have
been around for some time now, but this is Panasonic's first 4K
set, and it's the first in the world to offer HDMI 2.0. As there
aren't currently many 4K-compatible video players, games consoles
and set-top boxes currently on the market, the TV also includes
DisplayPort 1.2a, allowing for easy connection to PC -- something
which will greatly benefit gamers.

HDMI 2.0 squeezes 18 gigabits down a cable per second, rather
than 10Mbps handled by its predecessor, HDMI 1.4, and can therefore
support 4K video signals up to 60fps. 4K Intelligent Frame Creation
technology has been incorporated in the WT600, which will produce
slick 120fps motion for 4K content.

Other features offered on the WT600 include a Smart TV function
with Flash-ready web browser, touchpad controller with built-in
microphone, onboard pop-up camera and integrated Wi-Fi.

4K is likely to be a theme at this year's IFA, with more 4K TVs
expected to be announced over the coming days. Acer has also
already announced the first phone to boast 4K video recording, the
Acer Liquid S2, and it wouldn't be too surprising if the feature
popped up on other new phones during the course of the show.